Thursday, April 12, 2012

Getting Rosy

Small confession: I suck at applying blush. I have a friend who does it so perfectly, I honestly thought for the longest time she was naturally blessed with a permanent, rosy flush to the apples of her cheeks. It made her look so cherubic and youthful. In contrast, I haven't figured out the technique that seems to work for me. Probably in large part because my face is generally quite flat and my cheeks moon-like. There's a lot of surface area in which to go wrong. I try to keep it simple, smiling maniacally in front of the mirror and focusing the colour on the part of the cheek that juts out, but it either looks obvious, or overblended. I've now resorted to going back with my foundation brush and using whatever remnant product is left to both contain and soften the edges of the blush I've applied.

When it comes to colours, I tend to stick with inoffensive pinks or peaches, usually with a touch of shimmer. Better leave the more experienced to figure out how to rock mulberry or fiery red. In comparison to my eyeshadow, lipstick and nail polish hoard, the number of blushes I have is at a sane, even modest, level. These six that I reach for the most comprise 80% of my whole collection.



l-r: Rose D'Or, Prima Ballerina, Petal, Screen Siren, Mineral Rose, Flirtatious Pink

Bourjois Blush in Rose D'Or (34) Probably my favourite and most used. Soft medium pink with peach tones and gold shimmer. It's sheer enough so you don't need to worry about taking extra caution to not overdo it, and pigmented enough so it actually shows up when applied. The blush pot is cute and portable and I don't mind the strong powdery scent. If I find that the top layer is hardening, I just scratch a little off with my nail and it's as good as new.

Essence Blush Soufflé in Prima Ballerina Reviewed already in an earlier post, my only gripe is that on its own, the lasting power is only about a couple of hours. For the price though, this one is worth tracking down. The air-whipped texture is unlike anything I own and a breeze to work with, and the colour is very soft and sheer, perfect for a subtle, fuss-free and quick dab of colour to the cheeks.

Australis Paparazzi Perfect High Definition Blush in Screen Siren Though the blush is marbled, it essentially applies as a peachy pink matte. This is a high quality product for the price, the powder is smooth and soft with excellent pigmentation and staying power. You get a tonne of product (9g) which I'll probably never finish, housed in a medium-sized compact with a mirror.

Revlon ColorStay Mineral Blush in Petal (020) Again, a peachy pink with subtle gold shimmer, except with some light tan tones. A common complaint seems to be that it takes several layers to build up the colour. It is quite sheer in pigmentation, which on the positive side, makes it more natural-looking. Texture is slightly chalky. I picked this up for $4.90 at Priceline, so I don't feel any particularly negative feelings about it. If I bought it anywhere near full price, I'd most likely feel differently.

Savvy by DB Baked Mineral Blush in Mineral Rose A cheapie from Priceline that I bought when I was first beginning to experiment more with makeup beyond eyeliner and a tiny bit of foundation every day (if I could be bothered). Needless to say, it all went deeply downhill from there. This is a decently pigmented, slightly shimmery (but not with visible particles), coral-leaning blush (strange, since Mineral Rose suggests something more pink). Not my favourite shade, but wearable enough, and can be quite pretty for the summer or in combination with bronzer.

Australis Crème Colour in Flirtatious Pink I've dedicated a whole post to it, and since then, there's been no dip in my appreciation for this multipurpose cream product. If I'm headed off to dinner or drinks after work on a Friday, I make sure to toss this in my bag for a quick and easy touch up. It effectively injects some life and colour to the face in a matter of seconds. Best of all, it's a lot harder to screw up something in a cream consistency that you literally just rub onto your cheeks with your fingers where you want colour. For someone a bit blush-challenged like me, that's a big plus.

63 comments:

  1. These look like really lovely colours :)
    I just have images of you smiling helplessy at a mirror haha!
    I bet you do a great job :)

    Laura xoxo

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    1. That's definitely me in the morning :) I try my best! :p

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  2. Bourjois has been my firm favourite for years now. I use the exact shade as you. I have recently become a fan of creamy blushers they give a really natural finish :)

    http://beautyaddictsguidetothegalaxy.blogspot.co.uk/

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    1. Seems like that shade is really popular. Love cream blush, it's so effortless and does give a more natural look :)

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  3. Oh I am such a blush sucker,I just can't say no to blush @.@
    Those blushes u have are really pretty! I want them all T.T

    xx,
    Pam

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    1. Luckily I'm not as blush-crazed as I am with other makeup products, though I can see that all changing at any point. It's a slippery slope :p

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  4. I haven't tried Australis blushes, but I've been hearing good things about them recently. The marbled effect on the Paparazzi one is beautiful. :) Apparently Savvy is redeveloping their whole line (the last time I went to my Priceline, most of the stock was cleared and everything was on sale) so I'm excited to see what they have in store next.

    I had wanted to buy the Essence blush but all of the pots they had left in my Target had already been swatched! What a bummer. xx

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    1. You should definitely try them out, I think you'll like them :) Especially the HD powder ones, they're affordable, great quality and really pigmented. I did see that Savvy is trying to more or less clear out their existing stock, I wonder as well what they'll release. I loved their Luxury Liners, especially the bronze one. I need a backup!

      Target need to amp up the security of their Essence items, they're always being tampered with :p I swear it's all the kids that hang around the stand lol. Hopefully you find a pristine one soon!

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  5. OH, I know the feeling. It's a great day for me when my blush looks perect and even on boths sides! I love cream to powder formulas, they tend to be the most forgiving!

    P.S. I love your blog so much I nominated you for a Versatile Blogger Award :)

    xo Courtney

    http://www.strawberreeswing.blogspot.com

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    1. Thank you so much for reading and the nomination :) Getting blush even on both sides is also a challenge for me, it's so easy to get it wrong :p

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  6. I love blushes but I'm quite clueless when it comes to application, I just slap it on somehow!
    I'd really like to try the Bourjois blush, it looks amazing.
    xx

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    1. Haha, I'm sure even slapped on, it looks great :) Bourjois blush pots are really fabulous, you should try them for sure.

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  7. Lovely collection of blushes you have there. I can't apply blush well either. So I tend to pick the natural colors so if I mess up, it is not that noticeable. My current fav is Benefit Hervanna and I just ordered the Tarte Amazonian clay 12 hour blush in exposed. I tend to stay away from shimmery blush too.

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    1. I need to get my hands on Exposed, I've heard so many great things about it! Hervana is also gorgeous, but I can't bring myself to buy it as it's so expensive where I live.

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  8. Lovely blushes! I have the same problem as you, moon cheeks! x

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  9. Ohhh, they're all very pretty.

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  10. I love all the blushes you own. I tend to gravitate towards more peachy pink blushes too since they're safe. AND....I'm also guilty of not reeaaaalllly knowing how to apply blush.

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    1. Safe, that is totally me when it comes to the blush world :) I guess a lot of the fun in makeup is the experimentation. There's no "right" or "wrong" way, just the way that works best for you :)

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  11. I reallt enjoyed this post, you have some lovely blushes! xxx


    www.misslv.com

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    1. Thank you :) They're all very similar, you could definitely say I gravitate towards the same shades :p

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  12. I have the Essence one and I love it, because it's very settle.

    http://sandra-thepuzzleofmylife.blogspot.com

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    1. It is, I really appreciate that it's quite light so it's subtle and easy to apply.

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  13. The colours of all your blush collections are absolutely lovely. I think I'm the same by preferring to stick to shades like these that are feminine and faintly natural looking when applied. Thank you for the review! So fortunate that your blushes are in various brands so I can see the comparison first before going to buy them. (I shall endeavour to search for the Essence prima ballerina, Australis screen siren and Bourjois rose). Yay, it's time to expand my blush collection. :)

    http://winterlovemilktea.blogspot.com

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    1. I'm glad you found it somewhat useful :) Hopefully you manage to try all of them out and find the ones that you like the best. The Essence one is the most affordable and the lightest colour, it has a kind of airwhipped texture which is really interesting and applies almost like a cream to powder. Screen Siren is quite pigmented, it gives me a sort of earthy flush as it's more peachy than pink, which on my yellow skin can looks slightly tan. The Bourjois is really pretty, I think you'll like that one :)

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  14. I love the Bourjois one, I want it haha! Their cosmetics are so beautiful, their packaging makes me want everything!

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    1. Bourjois definitely has some lovely products, their blushes come in a huge range of colours :)

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  15. I can definitely tell you love the light pinks and peaches, haha. They're definitely easier to work with than the darker toned blushes!

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    1. You can certainly say that I have a type :) Lighter shades are definitely what a blush novice like me needs :p

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  16. They're all super pretty, I usually stick to inoffensive pinks/peaches too haha! I wish we had Bourjois in the States, it seems like an amazing brand!
    colormeloverly.blogspot.com

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    1. Oh, there's no Bourjois in America? I didn't know that! I don't have much from their range, only an eyeshadow, this one blush, a mascara and foundation. Everything has been fairly impressive, with the exception of the mascara.

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  17. I tend to gravitate towards the same blush shades as you, because they seem to be the most flattering and no-brainer ones haha. If you have problems with blush application, I think a stippling brush might help - it doesn't over distribute the product so you won't have a hard time blending it out, it is also easy to build up the colour. Sometimes when my blush goes wrong, I just take a kabuki brush and dab it into some loose/translucent powder and then buff it over the cheeks to sheer out the color and also blend in my blush colour with my contour/bronzer. I hope this will help you out a bit. Let me know how it goes :)

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    1. Ahhh, thanks for that powder tip! I will keep that in mind next time I think I've gone overboard :p I sometimes use a stippling brush to apply my blush, other times I just use a normal, more dense brush. Perhaps I should go back to the stippling and use it more often. I definitely use a stippling brush for my bronzer. I find this Ecotools one really good, because the tips are so soft, so they don't pick up much product at all, like you've pointed out :)

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  18. lol You do NOT have moon cheeks!

    I love blush, but I kinda suck at application, as well. haha Always wanted to try the Australis Creme Colours so might have to now!

    I once bought a Revlon mineral blush at an outlet sale a while ago and hated it. I had to keep putting on layer upon layer to get a good colour. :/

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    1. I do! Angles are deceiving :p I wish I could love blush more, I think the fact I generally can't make it work for me as well as I'd like has deterred me from developing a more intense love affair with it. The Australis Creme Colour is really versatile and easy to use, I like it a lot :) I can imagine how the Revlon blush would need lots of layers to show up. It's definitely on the sheer side. Was yours a baked blush? I think I scratched off quite a bit of the tip of mine, as it got decently pigmented, but only after I'd lacerated the top :p

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  19. I wish I could get a hold of Australis - both mosaic & the cream blush sound fantastic!

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    1. They're great products for the price :) Nice for Australia to have something nice and affordable that's not available elsewhere for a change :p

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  20. I haven't found a blush I really like but some of these colours look gorgeous.I like something natural and subtle.

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    1. Natural and subtle is usually the way I go :) Hopefully you manage to find something that you like and that works for you soon!

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  21. oh, you have really nice colors despite what you say is a small collection! =)

    There are a 101 ways to apply blush... ...

    One easiest way to learn, use, and yet get a perfect seamless blush is to use a Beauty Blender/similar sponge from other brands to puff a nice round blush on your cheeks. Best to use a baked blush or creme blush with the sponge. =)

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    1. Thanks for that tip! I've been wanting to try the Beautyblender for a while now, though I've been put off by the price and the fact I'd have to order it online. I think conventional flat sponges probably wouldn't work as well as an egg/round-shaped one, because of the roundness of the cheeks. Will definitely keep your helpful hint in mind though :)

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  22. I'm always looking for a better blush, and some of the colors you posted are lovely, especially flirtatious pink. :)

    ~ Yun

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    1. Glad you think so :) Hope you find a blush that you adore soon!

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  23. I have the Rose D'Or blush too and have to agree it's a gorgeous colour. I mainly bought it a few years ago because I'd heard it was a dupe for Nars Orgasm. I think all the colours you have a very natural and pretty, they're all the typical shades I go for too :)

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    1. I hadn't heard that specifically, but I did think that they could be close when I first bought it. I think everyone who first goes through any kind of blush stage looks for a dupe of Orgasm - I'm definitely guilty of that! :p

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  24. I must admit, I used to gravitate towards pinks and peaches too until I was brave enough to purchase MAC's Frankly Scarlet. As the name suggests it's a bright red shade with a matte finish. I originally bought it to apply to my eyebrows (to match my red hair) but found that it also looked really lovely when applied lightly to the cheeks. MAC blushes are notorious for being heavily pigmented and therefore kind of difficult to apply, but if you tap enough product off the brush they go on fairly easily.

    Oh and I'm glad you brought up the scent of the Bourjois blush. I just bought one recently (as you know) and I found the scent kind of suprising. I didn't think that blushes could even HAVE a scent!

    Another great post hun.

    xx Court
    Such A Beautiful Sight

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    1. I do want to try MAC blushes, but they have such a large collection that it's quite daunting just thinking about finding the right shade. I'm sure that red blush looks lovely lightly dusted on and complements your colouring :) Most blushes probably aren't scented, though for some reason the Bourjois ones have a signature rose/powdery perfume. At least it's better than something that smells really synthetic and unpleasant, as I've found some really cheap products to be. Thanks for reading :)

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  25. I find blush quite difficult too, but for opposite reasons. I have very prominent cheeks. A hint of shimmer can sent me into chipmonk territory. (; x

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    1. Hah, I doubt it :) (But chipmunks are so cute, lol). I can sympathise though I may be on the opposite end of the spectrum. It's hard to find a happy medium between flat and chipmunk :p

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  26. Prima Ballerina & Flirtatious Pink both look goooorgeous! Too bad we don't have those brand here!

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    1. They're definitely very pretty pink shades. I'm sure there are a lot of similar alternatives where you are though :)

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  27. Omg...I love them all! Totally my type of blushes, I got for rosey, brown toned roses and peachy brown pinks. They seem to flatter fair asian skin tones so much. I apply from the tops of my cheekbones up to my hairline...just a touch going onto the apples of my cheeks before sweeping upwards! try different placements! I found this one makes my face look sharper...draws attention away from the uneven bits around my nose!

    Great post! Love your blushes to death! :)

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    1. Good idea, I definitely should try different placements other than the apples of my cheeks. I have tried the whole closer to the hairline thing, but I didn't think I was doing it right. I usually do the tops of my cheekbones sweeping up to my hairline and only slightly on the apples of my cheek for my bronzer, and I find that works for me quite well (which is odd, because I always thought bronzer was supposed to be placed more into and below the hollow of the cheek). I guess it's all about experimenting with what works best for you :)

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  28. great selection of blushes! i love all the colors you have. frankly, i choose the same colors for blush over and over again.

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    1. It's definitely something I'm guilty of, not only for blush but pretty much anything else :p

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  29. Love the colors!

    Kiss,
    LAura
    (international giveaway at http://street-chiq.blogspot.pt/2012/04/delrio-giveaway.html)

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    1. It is super pretty and I use it the most, glad to have that one :)

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  31. I love blushes and so this was a great joy to read :) I hate it when the top of the blush gets dry >.<

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